Live in Texas and thinking about homeschooling? Awesome! I’m a second generation Texas homeschooler – meaning I was homeschooled as a child in Texas and now I’m homeschooling my own kids in Texas. Keep reading for answers to the most common questions I get from parents considering homeschooling in Texas.
Is Texas a homeschool friendly state?
Yes, Texas is a homeschool friendly state because there are absolutely no requirements for homeschooling. That being said, there is also no funding for homeschoolers although that may change soon if vouchers are created for private schools and homeschool families.
Can I take my child out of school in Texas?
Yes, you can take your child out of school at any time in Texas and begin homeschooling. Check out the steps you should take to start homeschooling before pulling your child out of school here.
How do I withdraw my child from public school in Texas?
You can easily withdraw your child from any public school in Texas simply by writing a letter of withdrawal and sending it to the administration at your child’s campus. I recommend writing the letter on your computer and printing it out and signing it with ink. I don’t recommend withdrawing your child from school via phone or in person.
How do I switch from public school to homeschool in Texas?
It’s easy to switch from public school to homeschool in Texas; simply inform your child’s school through a written letter of your intent to homeschool. You don’t have to do anything else, however, I recommend requesting your child’s cumulative file for documentation purposes.
How do I notify homeschooling in Texas?
You do not have to notify anyone at the government level of your intent to homeschool in Texas. If your child is enrolled in public school and you intend to withdraw them in order to homeschool, you will need to notify their school with a written withdrawal letter.
How do I write a letter of withdrawal from school in Texas?
A withdrawal letter from school in Texas simply must communicate your intention to withdraw your child from school and include your child’s last day of school. I offer an example letter and a free customizable download of a withdrawal letter here.
Is it illegal to not send your child to school in Texas?
It’s not illegal to not send your child to school in Texas, however, education for ages 5-18 is compulsory, so you are expected to homeschool in some capacity if your child isn’t enrolled in school. You do not have to inform anyone of your intent to homeschool in Texas.
What happens if you don’t send your child to school in Texas?
If you don’t send your child to school in Texas, then you are expected to be homeschooling them in some form. There is a compulsory education law in Texas, however, once you’ve withdrawn your child from school there is no homeschooling oversight.
What are the requirements for homeschooling in Texas?
There are no requirements for homeschooling in Texas. Texas is one of the few states in the United States that absolutely no regulations for homeschooling. This may change in the future, especially since vouchers are becoming a hot button political topic, but currently you do not have to meet any kind of requirements in order to homeschool your children in Texas.
Does Texas require proof of homeschooling?
No, Texas does not require any proof of any kind of homeschooling.
How many hours a day is required for homeschooling in Texas?
There are no requirement for the amount of time spent homeschooling in the state of Texas.
Can you go back to public school after being homeschooled Texas?
Yes, you can go back to public school after being homeschooled in Texas. In fact, I actually transitioned from homeschooling to public school in Texas in high school.
How many hours a day do you have to homeschool in Texas?
There is not a specific number of hours a day that you required to homeschool in Texas. There are currently no regulations for homeschoolers in Texas regarding time or days. As a homeschool parent myself, we spend 2-3 hours homeschooling 5x a week. When I was homeschooled as a child we had a similar schedule.
Do homeschoolers in Texas take STAAR?
Homeschoolers in Texas do not have to take STAAR. When I was homeschooled as a kid in Texas, I didn’t have to take any standardized tests. (It was TAKS back then). However, you might choose to have your child take a past year’s version of STAAR (they are released each year on the state education website) to measure their growth and keep documentation for your own sake.
Does it cost money to homeschool in Texas?
It does not cost money to homeschool in Texas in that you do not have to pay the state anything. However, homeschooling will always cost some amount of money, because you will need to buy quality curriculum products and pay for extracurricular activities in order to create a well-rounded educational experience for your child.
What is unschooling in Texas?
Unschooling in Texas is a type of homeschooling that is very relaxed. The primary difference between unschooling and homeschooling is that unschoolers are child-led rather than parent led. Most unschoolers don’t use curriculum. Learn more about unschooling here.
Is unschooling legal in Texas?
Yes, unschooling is legal in Texas.
Do both parents have to agree to homeschool Texas?
Yes, both parents must agree to homeschool in Texas. This is especially true if the parents are separated and share joint custody.
What percentage of Texas kids are homeschooled?
A recently published article indicates that as many as 12% of Texas children are homeschooled.
How many hours a day is required for homeschooling in Texas?
There is no required number of hours a day for homeschooling Texas. There are absolutely no requirements for homeschooling in Texas.
Can Texas homeschoolers take public school classes?
Whether or not Texas homeschoolers can take public school classes is up to the individual districts. In my personal experience, it has not possible for homeschoolers to take public school classes. Other states seem more receptive to this idea. However, I would simply reach out to the school district and politely enquire whether or not this may be possible. Keep in mind that, if denied, schools are really struggling post 2020 what with budget cuts, teacher shortages, gun threats, and more. They may not have the capacity to serve additional students who are not completely registered in their system.
Can homeschoolers participate in public school programs in Texas?
Homeschoolers cannot participate in academic, music, or athletic contests according to UIL rules.
Whether or not homeschoolers can participate in public school programs in Texas is again dependent on the individual school district.
There may be districts that are open to allowing students to join their extraccurricular programs, however, this is highly dependent on both funding and the school’s attitude towards homeschooling in general.
Can homeschoolers play sports in Texas?
Homeschoolers cannot play school sports in Texas according to UIL rules.
How many credits do homeschoolers need to graduate in Texas?
There is no number of required credits needed to for homeschoolers to graduate high school in the state of Texas. There are no requirements at all for homeschoolers in the state of Texas. However, if you would like to mirror what public students are doing and reflect that in your child’s homeschool diploma, know that public school students are required to have at least 22 credits to graduate.
